1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to the fabrication of multi-conductor tap connections using individual multi-contact connectors. A tap connector together with an appropriate method and apparatus for assembly is disclosed. The particular apparatus shown is an improved version of earlier applicators used to trim and insert wires into slotted terminals. This new apparatus can be used to insert each separate wire into two aligned terminals in separate connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A standard multi-contact connector for use in terminating multi-conductor cable is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,355. The present tap connector embodiment utilizes two mating connectors of the type shown in the above mentioned patent. Similar multi-contact ribbon connectors could also be used to form the tap connection which is the subject of this invention.
Apparatus for attaching cable wires to multi-contact connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,622 and application Ser. No. 556,983 filed Mar. 10, 1975. The apparatus claimed in the present application is an improved tool which utilizes many features of these earlier tools.
Other tap connections using the connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,295 and 3,824,530. A tap connector is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,276. One problem faced by all of the prior art devices is the difficulty of accomodating a plurality of wires in a relatively compact tap connector consisting of two separate multi-contact connectors. This problem is especially apparent when connectors having two parallel terminal rows are used. It should be noted that only a limited number of taps can be fabricated using the technique of U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,295. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,276, separate soldered connections between corresponding terminals are required. FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,530 reveals one component which could be used to form an equally equivalent tap connection. It is difficult to visualize how a compact tap connector could be fabricated in this manner since some provision must be made for the plurality of wires which get in the way. The tap connector embodied in this invention uses the cable wires to interconnect the two separate connectors comprising this tap connector.
A relatively rapid fabrication method is disclosed in this invention. A simple repetitive one-step operation is used to attach the individual cable wires to both connectors. Both the fabrication method and the tap connector itself utilize a wire lacing pattern which is different from that used in earlier applications of the connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335 and similar connectors.